It is now the prime season for rice transplanting. In the fields of Longxian Village, Fangshan Township, Qingtian County, villagers are bending over to plant tender green rice seedlings. Beneath the rippling clear water, schools of field fish swim freely... This harmonious scene, preserved for over a thousand years, perfectly showcases the “Qingtian Rice-Fish Symbiotic System”, which was listed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) as one of the first global important agricultural heritage systems.

For many years, Lishui City has adhered to the principle of protection through development and inheritance through utilization, promoting the coordinated protection and use of agricultural heritage. To date, the city has two globally important agricultural heritage systems—Qingtian Rice-Fish Symbiotic System and Qingyuan Forest-Mushroom Symbiotic System—and four nationally important agricultural heritage systems, including Yunhe Terraced Fields Agricultural System and Jinyun Wild Rice Stem-Duck Symbiotic System. The ancient wisdom of farming is now transforming into a driving force for rural development.

“Last year, one mu of land produced over 1,000 jin of rice and more than 100 jin of fresh fish, with an income exceeding 10,000 yuan per mu. With the golden brand of the rice-fish symbiosis, selling the harvest is no longer a worry!” said Wu Yongqiang, a villager of Longxian Village, smiling at the vibrant fields.

In 2024, the total area of the rice-fish symbiotic system in Qingtian County reached 70,100 mu, with an average rice yield of 480 kilograms per mu and an average fish yield of 29.5 kilograms per mu. The total output value of the county’s rice-fish industry reached 340 million yuan, an increase of 11.84% year-on-year.

Edible mushrooms are Lishui’s traditional industry with the most historical and cultural heritage. In recent years, Lishui City has comprehensively promoted the creation of advantageous and characteristic edible mushroom industry clusters, established germplasm resource banks, and highlighted factory-based production, leading to significant growth in the industry chain’s output value. In 2024, the total output value of Lishui’s edible mushroom industry chain reached 10.735 billion yuan, with an average benefit of 33,000 yuan per mu, directly increasing the income of 74,000 mushroom farmers.

These ancient agricultural heritage systems have not only become a powerful driving force for rural revitalization in Lishui but have also gained new vitality through integration with the cultural and tourism industries.

“To promote the integrated development of agriculture, culture, and tourism, Lishui is leveraging the diverse value of agricultural heritage resources in terms of agricultural species, ecological products, and natural landscapes, focusing on deeply integrating the agricultural heritage industry with new forms of business such as tourism, wellness, agricultural experiences, and science education. This effort is creating a series of comprehensive ecological tours that are visitable, viewable, and experiential,” said a relevant official from the Lishui Municipal Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

Wu Yongqiang was one of the first villagers in Longxian to open a homestay. In 2019, seeing the growing number of tourists in his hometown, he decided to integrate rice-fish culture, overseas Chinese culture, and nostalgia culture. While operating his homestay, he also voluntarily helped villagers sell rice and field fish for free, contributing an annual income increase of 80,000 yuan to the village collective and helping nearby villagers to prosper together.

In addition, Longxian Village has introduced overseas Chinese and private investment to advance agricultural heritage study projects. It has innovatively launched 20 exhibition halls, such as the Agricultural Culture Exhibition Hall and Overseas Chinese Currency Hall, boosting the development of the local tourism industry. The village has been selected as one of China's National Key Rural Tourism Villages and attracts an average of 250,000 tourists annually.

During the recent Dragon Boat Festival holiday, Yunhe Terraced Fields Scenic Area launched the “Celebrating Duanyang with the Awakening of Rice Dreams” cultural tourism activities, drawing large crowds of visitors. Immersive experiences such as rice transplanting competitions, fish-catching in the paddies, and treasure hunting in the mud allowed tourists to experience the unique charm of agricultural heritage culture firsthand.

Yunhe Terraced Fields is the largest terraced field group in East China and the first 5A-level terraced field scenic area in the country. In recent years, the scenic area has launched tourism products such as terraced field observation towers, aerial cable cars, and stargazing camping sites, attracting an increasing number of tourists and diversifying its sources of revenue. During this year’s May Day holiday, Yunhe Terraced Fields received 209,200 visitors, a year-on-year increase of 48.58%.

The development of Yunhe Terraced Fields has also injected new vitality into rural tourism and the homestay industry. Li Kai, a homestay owner in Kenggen Village, introduced that as one of the core scenic villages of Yunhe Terraced Fields, Kenggen Village often experiences full bookings during holidays. Now, the village boasts 13 farmhouse homestays with an annual operating income of over 7.8 million yuan, and the per capita income of villagers has reached 32,000 yuan.

By strengthening characteristic industries and promoting the integration of primary, secondary, and tertiary industries, Lishui City is exploring a path for the inheritance and development of agricultural heritage with distinctive local characteristics, allowing millennia-old agricultural heritage to flourish anew on Chuzhou’s land and driving harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature.